E3 isn't even under way yet, but Valve (which will not be presenting at the event) is starting things early by revealing a new client for its massively popular PC game Dota 2. Dota 2 Reborn is being revealed in three blog updates before it launches in a beta test later next week, but what we can see so far should impress both fans and those still trying to get into these types of games (check out our primer here for a heads up). The dashboard players use to enter games is completely redesigned, with buttons to launch a session from anywhere, and easier ways to join up and play with friends. It's all running on a new engine (not specified, but presumably Source 2), and also adds support for Custom Games, which Valve will talk more about next week.

Despite the fact that most of us still don't have an HMD (head-mounted display) like the Oculus Rift, Valve is embracing VR gaming wholeheartedly. Its latest SteamBeta now has a "virtual reality mode" right in the view menu, negating any of the last version's command line futzing. Assuming you have the SteamVR beta installed and an HMD plugged in, you can now switch quickly between the desktop and VR or Big Picture modes. Your HMD can be hot-plugged while Steam is running too, unlike before. With those tweaks, Valve seems well prepared in case a highly-anticipated VR headset shows up at GDC 2014 this week, or something. Right Sony?

The team behind the Plex media playback package seems to rarely rest, and has most recently pushed an update to the server end of the software. Now up to version 0.9.8 and nearing the lofty 1.0 tag, Plex Media Server is finally offering proper multiuser support, giving each user their own view state. That means your kids can have their own account, for example, with access to only certain silos of content. Even better, the Web, iOS, Android and Roku clients are already prepared for this, and the others are getting updates soon, although it's currently only enabled for PlexPass subscribers. Also new is a "now playing" status which carries more importance thanks to the previously mentioned multiuser feature, all viewable through Plex/Web or accessible via the API. The last major change is that it can create video index file that drops in thumbnails for each section of a video. That enables image previews while navigating on the Roku, and thumbnails of progress in that new now playing feature.

On the client end, the Plex blog highlighted an interesting project called PlexConnect which runs on the Apple TV. While that's not new by itself, the twist here is that it works on Apple TV second and even third generation boxes without the need for a jailbreak. This bit of magic is apparently achieved by spoofing Apple's Trailer app, which means it requires firmware 5.0 or higher to work. It doesn't have all the features of other clients (yet) and it will require a bit of Terminal know-how to get running, but there's plenty of information in the wiki to get you started.

Google has opened its Mirror API for devs while passing out Glass headsets to early adopters -- including our own Tim Stevens -- and now there's evidence Twitter is already working up an official app. As TechCrunch points out, developer Jonathan Gottfried noticed images popping up from a "Twitter for Glass" client sporting the same #throughglass hashtag he'd been using on his own TweetGlass project and that Google puts on G+ images shared from the device. The original tweet he pointed out has been deleted, but as he informed AllThingsD, there are several others still live. Most notably, they originate from Googlers working on the Glass project, and ATD astutely mentioned Twitter's rules prohibit third-party apps from using the company's name, suggesting this is something developed in-house.

RasPlex is not the only HTPC software project aimed at the Raspberry Pi (also see Raspbmc, OpenELEC or PyPlex), but it is trying to leverage the Plex Media Server to become the best option. As detailed on the "Why Rasplex?" section of its new website, Plex's client/server model lends itself to handling video streams that might otherwise not be supported by the Pi's lightweight ARM CPU, as well as (once it's out of beta) access a number of additional apps and features. Its creator celebrated Pi day yesterday by launching a new site for the project, and even has plans for custom cases to make mounting your $35 media PC in the living room easier to do. Hit the source links to download the latest update, version 0.1.27 or just get more information.

The busy developers behind the Plex media server / client system have rung in 2013 with a slew of updates, this time targeting the company's native Windows 8 app, the Plex/Web interface and also the server software itself. On Windows 8, it's added audio/subtitle stream selection, universal search (seen above), some UI tweaks and more. On the web access front it's sporting retina-ready graphics, the ability to upload custom posters and some Flash video player fixes, among other tweaks. Finally, to make all this go (you'll need to update it to connect to the new Windows 8 app, as our own Sean Cooper found out) the media server gains a series of fixes, plus a speed boost on some DLNA streaming, searching for music by album and the necessary backend fixes to support Plex/Web's poster upload feature. More improvements are promised later this year, for now just hit the source link for the full list of changes, or check for an update on your platform of choice.

When Plexrolled out its PlexPass subscription that offered paying customers access to some new features as they were being developed, a new web client was first in line. Now an update to its Media Server is available that brings it to all users, along with a slew of other fixes and tweaks including improved photo access, transcoder management and increased subtitle support over DLNA. If you are on PlexPass however, now that the Plex/Web feature has escaped over the paywall the blog post teases a "mystery feature" set to debut tomorrow. Hit the source link for the full changelog and instructions on how to access everything.

Update: The new PlexPass-exclusive feature is "PlexSync", that lets users flag content in their library to be automatically reformatted and loaded on their iOS (or Android, soon) device. There's several filters included to manage what content gets sideloaded plus APIs for developers, check the new blog post for more details.

When Twitter put out its strict new API guidelines, there was some doubt as to whether or not third-party clients like Tapbots' Tweetbot for Mac would even make the cut -- the user caps and other curbs on unofficial apps potentially made it tough to develop competition around a different (and possibly better) experience. That makes today's official appearance of Tweetbot in the Mac App Store as much symbolic as it is practical. While there won't be many significant shocks for those who've been participating in Tweetbot's alpha and beta stages, the finished version gives everyone running OS X Mountain Lion a major and sometimes more advanced alternative to official choices, such as TweetDeck, as well as existing third-party options like Twitterrific. A $20 price doesn't make Tweetbot the cheapest way to buck convention by any means, but it might be worth the investment if you're already committed to Tapbots' iOS apps or want to make a statement on the value of third parties in an ecosystem.

TweetDeck is Twitter's professional desktop client, though you might not always know it given that the app is sometimes out of step with its more pedestrian siblings. Today, Twitter is presenting a unified front in a more timely fashion. The web versions of TweetDeck now show the expanded tweets and header photos that reached the iPad and mobile apps a week ago. No major surprises are waiting in the wings save for the absence of a matching update to the native Mac and Windows apps -- hopefully, that's a gap that closes soon.

Last spring an announcement from the platform team at Twitter not-at-all-subtly suggested developers of third party clients should find something else to do, and today a list of changes to its API turns that whisper into a firm nudge. The limit that most directly affects any of the unofficial clients you may be interested in using is that existing apps currently servicing more than 100,000 individual user tokens will be allowed to double their current count, but cannot add any users past that without Twitter's permission. Going forward, any app that needs more than 100,000 tokens to do things like access the timeline, show DMs or anything else a client app might do will also need Twitter's permission to operate. Other changes include that any pre-installed client app on something like a phone, computer, or TV will need Twitter's permission before it ships (sensing a trend here?), or potentially face revocation of its application key. Moving on, the Display Guidelines about the information any app that displays tweets must provide are shifting to Display Requirements, with violators potentially losing that application key. Those Twitter Cards that started rolling out over the last few months are also getting a big push, with plans to include other ways for developers to bring their rich content to Twitter, and embed real-time Twitter content on existing websites.

In a section of the blog post that specifically calls out popular third party clients like Tweetbot and Echofon, it puts them in a zone of Twitter apps that it believes developers "should not build" since they mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter client experience. Other services focused on aggregation like Storify and Favstar.fm are also called out as not having much of a future in Twitter's view of its universe A-OK, see the update below. It's pretty clear where we're headed, as Twitter seeks to monetize a growing and talkative user base, it wants to make sure users are all seeing things in the format it wants them to. With a six month migration period ahead, developers and users may have hard choices to make. Tweetbot developer Paul Haddad has already tweeted that "the sky is not falling...the cap is pretty huge and we aren't going anywhere", and we'll undoubtedly hear from others soon. The rest of the details reside beyond the source link, but let us know first -- are you learning to love the official Twitter clients, or are you thinking paying $50 a year for an entirely unproven alternative with no users doesn't sound so ridiculous after all?

Update: Twitter platform director Ryan Sarver tweets that Favstar.fm and Storify are actually "good examples" of services it would like to see. Also, TweetLanes developer Chris Lacy is apparently encouraged by the change, thanking Twitter for "giving client devs a chance"

During a trip to Switzerland, my family started off on a day hike to reach the nearby foothills of a mountain. It looked doable, but as time passed the range seemed to recede before our approach. After many hours we turned around, having apparently failed to close any distance.

Crossing from now to the future in technology can likewise seem illusory. When we scrutinize and celebrate each tiny incremental invention as if it were a milestone, we lose track of time as if we were counting grains of sand dropping through an hourglass. Game-changing inventions are rare, separated by epochs in which progress adds up to a lot of sameness. Futurism is an unforgiving business. But sometimes, as in the cases of cloud computing and media convergence, redemption comes with patience.

Tweetbot's been offering a rough-around-the-edges alpha version on its upcoming refresh for a few weeks now, but it's the latest update that's caught our attention -- again. There's several substantial changes that could tempt you away from other desktop Twitter clients. These include a new multiple account view, with separate columns that can either be docked to your main feed or left in their own window. You can spin out mentions and search results into their own space, and even adjust each column's height and width -- if you're looking to squeeze evenmoreTwitter content into a single screen. A new menu bar icon offers access to your multiple accounts, new tweets, direct messages and mentions, while the latest build also improves support for media upload and Mountain Lion's notification bar. Tweetbot's alpha is still free to try for now, but once the kinks are eventually worked out, expect to pay for the finished article.

]]>
Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:07:00 -040021|20292646http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/gmail-for-ios-adds-option-to-save-photos/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/gmail-for-ios-adds-option-to-save-photos/http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/gmail-for-ios-adds-option-to-save-photos/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsGoogle's Gmail app for iOS has been docked by some potential adopters for feeling like a poor cousin to other native apps. It may be worth revisiting: the 1.3 update has just arrived with a much-requested ability to save common image attachments to an iOS device's photo collection. Should that not be enough, Google has smoothed out animations and scrolling for iPhone and iPod touch owners. The new version has pushed live for everyone, leaving just a quick download between us and saving our parents' vacation photos for posterity.

Seemingly anyone who's used an iPhone (and often the iPad) knows Tweetbot -- it's often the go-to Twitter app for those who prefer not to go the official route. It's to those users' delight, then, that Tapbots just posted a free alpha version of Tweetbot for Mac. As you'd anticipate, it's an attempt to bring much of the app's power user mojo to the desktop world: you can check just retweets of your content, mute overly chatty people or hashtags, and otherwise get more control than just watching your stream drift by. It's even (mostly) Retina-ready for that new MacBook Pro. Alpha does mean that there will be a fair amount of things missing; it won't tap into iCloud or Mountain Lion's Notification Center until it's official, for example. But if you're willing to deal with that and a few potential bugs, it may be time to brush other apps aside -- just note that you'll need Mountain Lion or newer when the app is ready to face the Mac App Store, even though it works with Lion today.

We've had a quick spin with the app, and it largely does what it says on the tin: it's Tweetbot, on the Mac. The primary differences are changes that make sense when a mouse pointer and a larger screen area are available. You can reply, retweet, or view whole conversations from buttons that appear as you hover, rather than using the myriad taps and swipes of the iOS apps. It's a wonderfully minimalist app, if that's your thing, and you can open multiple windows (currently through a keyboard shortcut) to get some of that TweetDeck-style power user layout. Our main gripe? Tweetbot on the Mac always updates in a live stream, and there's no option for intervals; if you follow a lot of people, there's a chance you might miss something. Still, for an alpha, it's a decidedly polished and useful effort that doesn't leave us wanting like a few clients, including Twitter's own.

Almost without fail, BitTorrent downloads have had to spread through a dedicated client, whether it's on the desktop or a router. Thankfully, BitTorrent Torque has just come in alpha form to liberate the peer download service from its software chains. All that's needed now is a web browser that can parse a JavaScript app. Going the new route gives some freedom to enable sharing that hasn't always been practical: among the tricks in the company's Torque Labs are drag-and-drop sharing, conversion of torrents into traditional downloads and easing the burden on a server for video streaming. The alpha stage leaves Torque with awhile to go before it's ready for the limelight, but experimenters can hit the source link to start tinkering with distributed file sharing today.

Mozilla's Thunderbird mail client just hasn't enjoyed the same level of stardom as its Firefox cousin. Their developer must be feeling this discrepancy more than most, as the company has confirmed plans to take the organization out of active Thunderbird development. The shift is officially being spun as an adaptation that lets the Foundation center its energy on Firefox OS and the usual browser plans, but when Mozilla proper will only be handling bug fixes and security updates for a client that's "not a priority," we'd say it's putting Thunderbird on ice. Accordingly, leaked details from TechCrunch show Mozilla moving some of the team out of the project at some point; any new features will have to come from the community, which suggests the future upgrade schedule will be more than a bit unpredictable. The writing is on the wall soon enough that existing owners could have food for thought well before a final strategy is due in early September.

Now, we don't normally cover this sort of networking equipment, but we were quite impressed by HP's new t410 All-in-One Smart Zero Client after we spoke to its proud product manager Walt Jurek. First of all, this isn't an AIO desktop PC, nor is it an LCD monitor -- well, if you're unfamiliar with thin clients, just think of this as an 18.5-inch, 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit monitor (featuring a 3M technology for the 200 nit brightness -- our money's on the Uniformity Tape) that uses just one Ethernet cable to get both its 13W power from a PoE (Power over Ethernet) switch, as well as data connection over Citrix, Microsoft or VMWare protocol. The t410 can automatically detect the virtualization environment and then reprogram its digital signal processor when needed, meaning less manual work for the admin (in theory, anyway). More after the break.

Considering it's supposed to be a democratic free-for-all, Steam has been running a tight ship lately. We've already seen a video of a forthcoming native client for Linux, and now there's a new beta client for Windows and Mac that also brings something different: remote game management. This can save you time by letting you trigger the download and installation of a title to your home computer while you're still in the office or on the move, via any web browser. That said, this type of thing was already possible using remote desktop apps, and so far the community response to the buggy beta has been decidedly mixed -- so make sure you read up on Valve's forum (at the source link) before you expect to find your slippers, Pinot Grigio and Sniper Elite V2 all lined-up and waiting when you get home.

]]>
Thu, 03 May 2012 07:19:00 -040021|20229815http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/plex-app-available-on-kindle-fire-updates-media-servers-and-oth/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/plex-app-available-on-kindle-fire-updates-media-servers-and-oth/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/plex-app-available-on-kindle-fire-updates-media-servers-and-oth/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsFor a media software package to survive these days, it has to be able to run pretty much anywhere and just recently Plex added the Kindle Fire to its list of supported platforms, uploading its Android client onto Amazon's Appstore. The team hasn't stopped there either, delivering updates across a slew of products starting with its Media Server v0.9.5.2 which added autoupdate and start on login features, while the Media Center package has reached 9.5.2, with support for refresh rate switching as well as a number of other tweaks and fixes. The various clients haven't been forgotten either, with a brand new alpha available for Linux users, individual apps for Android and Google TV, and a new v2.1 for iOS that supports myPlex cloud streaming without the need for users to run the Plex server software locally. Hit the source links for changelogs and more details or just check an app store near you where updated software is no doubt residing for your picture, music, and video streaming pleasure.

]]>
Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:30:00 -050021|20120344http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/27/dvblogics-boxee-app-brings-live-tv-streaming-to-the-box/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/27/dvblogics-boxee-app-brings-live-tv-streaming-to-the-box/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/27/dvblogics-boxee-app-brings-live-tv-streaming-to-the-box/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23comments
If online video streams and locally stored media aren't providing enough functionality for your Boxee Box, now you can watch regular TV on it too. The Digital Lifestyle mentions DVBLogic has released a new version of its DVBLink client for the device that lets you browse the program guide and watch live TV, provided you also have a home server set up with its software and a tuner. If you're not familiar with the software, it lets you turn most any UPnP-compatible device into an extender capable of caching live streams, with clients available for iPad / iPhone already, plus Android and WP7 on the way. You'll need the latest release candidate version of DVBLink Connect! server software to make it all go, then point your Boxee Box browser to the company's repository to download the client software and let us know how it all works out.

]]>
Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:14:00 -040021|20067304http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/25/tweetdeck-and-twitter-together-at-at-last/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/25/tweetdeck-and-twitter-together-at-at-last/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/25/tweetdeck-and-twitter-together-at-at-last/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23comments
We've been hearing rumors for a while that Twitter was looking to make TweetDeck a member of its flock, and now, the blue bird crew has made it official. All Things D reports that the deal was done for between $40 to 50 million, and that TweetDeck CEO Iain Dodsworth will stay on to run the platform. In its official announcement, Twitter said it will continue to "invest in the TweetDeck that users know and love" -- time will tell if the new boss birdie is a boon or bane for the popular tweet tracking app.

]]>
Wed, 25 May 2011 13:10:00 -040021|19949959http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/vmware-view-brings-virtual-desktops-to-ipad-with-touchscreen-fri/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/vmware-view-brings-virtual-desktops-to-ipad-with-touchscreen-fri/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/vmware-view-brings-virtual-desktops-to-ipad-with-touchscreen-fri/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23comments
Remote controlling your personal desktop from an iPad is one thing, but today VMware is offering something a little heftier -- a streamlined app to connect to enterprise-class virtual desktops. Like Citrix Receiver, the idea is that you'll get the iPad client for free, and hopefully pay to have the cloud computers served up, but instead of streamlining applications for tablet use, VMware's app hands you customizable PC-like controls. There's a handy-looking virtual touchpad you can use for fine control over the mouse cursor if your fingers prove too pointy, a set of Windows shortcut keys at the top of the virtual keyboard, multi-finger gestures and more -- but why not just watch the video after the break to see what's in store?

We've seen a few docking stations 'round these parts that use the venerable DisplayLink technology to great effect, but nothing quite like this before. Plugable's DC-125 USB 2.0 Docking Client connects to your PC allows you to connect your display, speakers, keyboard, and mouse via one USB port -- small potatoes, right? Well, if said PC has a compatible multi-user OS (such as Windows Multipoint Server or Userful Multiseat Linux) you can daisy chain docks to add several terminals to the setup. Terminals! Now you can relive the dark, backwards days when you had to go to the college computer lab to get any work done -- in the comfort of your own home. Available now for $65 a pop. Get a closer look after the break.

]]>
Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:37:00 -050021|19872054http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/plex-media-center-app-comes-to-android-windows-server-on-the-wa/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/plex-media-center-app-comes-to-android-windows-server-on-the-wa/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/plex-media-center-app-comes-to-android-windows-server-on-the-wa/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23comments
Everyone's other favorite spinoff from the XBMC family tree has some major news this week, as Plex has released a Media Center app for Android that mirrors most of the functions already available for iOS devices. Available now on the Android Market for $4.99, it brings local and streaming media to the phone over WiFi, or 3G from a Mac (and now, Windows PC) running the server software, but users will have to wait a few weeks for an upgrade adding remote functions (or use any of the 3rd party apps already on the Market.) With plugins for apps like Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer it's a formidable competitor in the media streamer market out of the gate; throw in support for PCs plus integration into LG's 2011 HDTVs and Blu-ray players and we're ready to pick Plex as the platform to keep an eye on this year. Check out the details in the press release after the break, we'll toss in a link to the Windows server once we find it / it's posted.

Update: The link is down there but it's still delivering a dmg instead of an exe, we've been told it should be up later this afternoon. Thanks, Chris!

Update 2: Looks like the Windows server is up now, you can grab an EXE at the link below. Thanks FreeSpeechFTW!

]]>
Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:59:00 -050021|19846495http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/12/facebook-about-to-launch-a-gmail-slaying-titan/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/12/facebook-about-to-launch-a-gmail-slaying-titan/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/12/facebook-about-to-launch-a-gmail-slaying-titan/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23comments
Oh no, Facebook's hosting another event? But it's so soon after the last one, we've barely had time to recover from all that excitement. The invite to this new shindig is adorned with some pretty obvious visual hints at mail and messaging, which (along with a few well placed sources) has led TechCrunch to speculate that Zuckerberg and crew are about to unveil their Project Titan email client. Rumored to have been in the works since at least February, this "full-fledged" webmail service -- replete with @facebook.com personal addresses -- is reportedly referred to as a "Gmail killer" internally. We struggle to imagine anything dragging us away from Google's versatile mail offering, but competition's never a bad thing -- even if it comes from another company that has more information about us than it should.